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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23963074">Late Night</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiefercarlos/pseuds/kiefercarlos'>kiefercarlos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gossip Girl XoXo [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Gossip Girl (TV 2007)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family Feels, Gen, Mental Health Issues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:09:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,137</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23963074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiefercarlos/pseuds/kiefercarlos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>ONE-SHOT: <br/>Lily is away for a night and Rufus mans the kids. He takes a special interest in Eric, who seems to be falling through the cracks and nobody is noticing.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Rufus Humphrey &amp; Eric van der Woodsen, Rufus Humphrey/Lily Rhodes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gossip Girl XoXo [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1727620</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Late Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was a part of a series, that got scrapped, but this scene meant something to me, so I kept it and now you all get to see it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lily was at a fundraiser in Florida, so it was just him and the kids at the apartment for the night, Dan and Jenny he could give orders too, so when he told them, to be in bed by ten, he knew they would listen, Eric and Serena he wasn't so sure of. Thankfully, everyone just hung around the apartment for night, watching movies and playing video games. Serena and Jenny would occasionally wander off to their own rooms with their phones, but Rufus let them be, he cooked everyone food, and the Van Der Woodsen's commented on how great it was to have some home cooked food.</p><p>Rufus was cleaning up in the kitchen, when he saw Dan's phone vibrate and then he got up. "We're off up to bed dad." Jenny says as she comes into the kitchen behind him and he turns and plants a kiss on her cheek and then waves them off. Dan leans over the counter and Rufus turns to actually see him. "I think Eric is having a tough time tonight." He says and Rufus nods as he glances over Dan's shoulder to see Eric still sitting there, phone in hand. "Night kid." Rufus says loud enough clapping his son on the shoulder as Dan heads off to bed.</p><p>Rufus finishes up in the kitchen and then stands, leaning against the wall, watching Eric, who had yet to notice him. He'd talked a lot with Lily about Eric, she'd had no one she could turn to and Rufus was always there, especially when it came to the kids. He knew all about what Eric had gone through and his heart really went out to the kid. He'd had an upbringing full of money and lavish lifestyles, but nothing of any worth where it's needed.</p><p>They still don't have a reason why Eric became depressed, but Rufus is pretty sure the unsteady childhood wasn't helping. He noticed him scratch his wrists a couple of times and he had a bad feeling in his stomach about the movement. "You going to bed soon kid?" He asked, finally making his presence known as he headed over to the sofa with a bottle of water in his hand.</p><p>Eric looked up surprised to see him and Rufus just dropped into the empty space, as he flipped to a sports channel, letting Eric compose himself. "You can stay out here for a little while if you need?" Rufus offered, glancing at Eric who just nodded and slumped further into the sofa, his phone dropping into his lap as Rufus got comfortable, watching the replay of the Hockey game.</p><p>Neither of them say anything, they just sit there in silence, watching the tv, even though neither of them were paying that much attention to the game on the screen, Rufus was paying more attention on Eric as he wrung his hands together, looking slightly jumpy. He continues to watch him until he balls his hands into fists nervously, leaving nail marks in his palms.</p><p>Rufus reaches across and separates his hands, before going back to the game, Eric starting to fidget next to him and Rufus puts his drink down and takes Eric by the shoulders and pulls him gently into his side. "Whatever you're feeling right now, it's okay. Let's not go hurting ourselves though okay." Rufus says gently and it takes a few moments of Eric practically shaking to end up sobbing into Rufus' shoulder. He doesn't know why Eric is crying or what's caused it if anything, he just knows he needs to do the right thing here, to make sure this kid doesn't go to sleep, still feeling like this.</p><p>Rufus doesn't say anything, just keeps rubbing Eric on the back and patting his shoulder gently, even placing the occasional kiss to the top of his head. The poor kid was 13 and lost in himself. Rufus hated it, he'd do whatever he could.</p><p>They were sitting there for close to fifteen minutes before the crying stopped, but Eric didn't lift his head or loosen the grip he had of Rufus' shirt. It rook Rufus a few moments of deep thought to realise that maybe this is exactly what the poor kid wasn't receiving. "Think I could get you to move to bed, if I promise to sit with you all night?" Rufus asks and it takes a couple of seconds for Eric to lift his head and look at him, clearly surprised by the comment. "You're more than welcome to continue sitting here, but if you all asleep, I'm not going to be able to carry up to bed and I cannot let you sleep on the sofa, when you've got a bedroom." Rufus explains with a gentle smile, not bringing up the moment they just had. Eric slowly pulls away and stand up, swaying a little, but Rufus is next to him and puts an arm around his shoulders and helps him walk to his room.</p><p>"You're a good kid Eric. You really are." Rufus says as the boy in question climbs into bed and Rufus looks at him and he looks even younger laying there. Rufus just pulls up a chair next to the bed and takes Eric's hand in his. "This right here, means you're not alone, you've got nothing to worry about okay. I'm going to sit right here for you all night." Rufus explains and Eric squeezes his hand tightly and Rufus watches how it only takes a few minutes for exhaustion to overtake him and drift into sleep, his hand not slipping from Rufus's and he isn't going to leave, he promised him, he'd stay. So he does.</p><p>When Lily, arrives back early the following morning and goes in search of her husband, her heart clenches to see him sitting in a chair, head resting on the bed of her son, whose hand is still clenched in Rufus'. Lily, finds Dan and Serena up when returns to the kitchen. "What happened last night?" She asked and both of them shrugged. "Eric wasn't quite right last night, but he kept pushing us off." Dan started and Lily nodded, knowing well, what her son was like. "Eric was still downstairs when we all went to bed last night. When we got up, I went to check on Eric, just in case and found them there. I assume Rufus sat up with him." Serena explained as the three of them sat down for some breakfast.</p><p>Lily couldn't keep the smile off her face. Her son still had some problems to deal with, but knowing that Rufus was there for him, brought a flutter to her heart. Her kids might just survive the life she's given them and it's all thanks to Rufus, for knowing how to handle everything.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading. <br/>Hope you enjoyed.<br/>Comments and Kudos fuel me.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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